Chef Reinnier Madura: Ezdan Hotel’s hidden gem

The “Filipino Street Food Night At Al Thouraya” last Tuesday night was a gastronomic feast filled with fun and laughter. It was a smorgasbord of many things we missed from home. Not only that we were lavished with popular street foods but also with unlimited serving of our favorite Filipino cuisines. Yes, it’s more than just PINOY STREET FOOD for only QR79! And it will be Al Thouraya Restaurant’s theme every Tuesday nights.

Coming early to an the event always pays off as I was given an exclusive tour and a chance to take some shots of the untouched food first. Moreover, I had the privilege of meeting the restaurant chef who was responsible for most of the food on display.

Chef Reinner has been working as a chef at Ezdan Hotel for four years now. He said that most of the food was carefully prepared from scratch using only the best available ingredients, while keeping in mind one of the most meticulous taste buds in the world – the “kabayan” food lovers.

He worked previously as an executive chef at the Royal Ministry of Saudi Arabia and is an expert in continental cuisines during the course of his 19 years in the hotel industry. He has already worked with different themed nights for Ezdan Hotel, including Arabic and Italian nights to name a few. But the Filipino night is extra special not only that it is his chance to showcase the Philippines to the world. He knew that everything he will prepare every Tuesdays will reflect his very own culture and tradition, as well as it will give the guests a glimpse of “who we are as a people and as a nation… ingenious, thoughtful and very festive”.

 

Street Food Galore!

Usually sold in portable food carts on the streets of Manila (or anywhere in the Philippines), here are just some of the popular street foods that are very unique and indigenous back home. Isaw, which is available upon request (not included in the photo set), is made from barbecued chicken intestines. All these food may be requested to be re-heated to enjoy their glorious taste.

Fried street food usually goes well with vinegar-based sauces: soy-chili sauce, sweet and sour sauce, red onion and garlic sauce. It is very popular in the Philippines as it caters to different taste buds of every customer. Few readings led me to understanding that vinegar also has antimicrobial properties and can increase nutrient absorption.

Whether you like it hot, sweet, or plain… you can simply choose your kind of sauce to bring out the natural flavor of the food.

 

But wait, there’s more!

Surprisingly, there’s a wide range of other Filipino foods included in the menu that would fill you up for the whole night. Aside from the street food that could serve as your appetizers, there are different kinds of enseladas (Spanish term for salads), and some of our all-time favorite ulam (Tagalog term for dishes). The unlimited Kare-kare (oxtail stew) can challenge those commercially available in other restaurants. Sisig (not in the photo set) is another Filipino dish made from chicken parts and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers (this will be served on your table on a sizzling plate).

Not to forget, Chef Reinner and his team never failed to deliver every Pinoy’s ultimate finisher, the different panghimagas (Tagalog term for desserts). Try the leche flan (the Filipino version of crème caramel) and you will simply love its pure creaminess.

 

Experience #FilipinoFoodFiestaAtAlThouraya every Tuesdays

Ezdan Hotel’s Al Thouraya Restaurant officially reserved Tuesdays with Chef Reinner at the helm in providing good food for everyone. The team will serve mostly Filipino food and we would love to invite other expats in Doha to try and experience our most loved dishes – though I would also wish to see the popular adobo or dilis (anchovies) or maruya (another type of banana fritter) to be included in the menu soon , who knows?

But aside from the food, event organizer #FoodLoversLifestyleandEventsinDoha also included a Karaoke Challenge which is every Filipino’s ultimate bonding activity. During the first night of the competition, it was also fun to see different nationalities enjoying the food and the company. Some of them even joined the contest just for fun.

Once in a while, it is great to see everyone bursting out in laughter after a day’s hard work.

 

FOR RESERVATIONS, PLEASE CALL:

Al Thouraya Resturant

4th Floor, Ezdan Hotel West Bay Doha

+974 4496 9600

* We were guest bloggers during the night but the observations mentioned above are purely the writers own.